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There’s a bunch of lingo in the eating disorder treatment world that can be confusing. You’ve probably seen me mention Health at Every Size or HAES many times. For a lot of folks, HAES is a relatively new concept. So what the heck is it? And why should you be interested? Here’s a description from…

Diet culture is like social media. It grabs your attention, feeds you a fantasy, and leaves you longing for connection when you’ve decided to kick it to the curb. But by removing yourself (even for a little while) you allow yourself to get clear.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I took a social media sabbatical for about four days. It doesn’t seem like a long time, but it definitely made a difference in my wellbeing.

If you read my last wedding post or have ever been to a wedding, you know there’s a lot of emotion when folks tie the knot. Much of that emotion gets wrapped into body stuff: the dress, attendee’s desired weight loss to meet a size goal or look good for photos, reevaluation of life goals…everyone seems to have their own agenda when it comes to body image and weddings.

I was pretty stuck when it came to getting my own wedding plans off the ground because of these hangups. But, surprisingly, wedding planning actually helped my eating disorder recovery.

Eating disorders are like an asshole college ex-boyfriend. Super seductive. Keeps you hanging but calls when you’re feeling desperate. Hard to break up with because he makes you feel really good sometimes (but makes you question your self-worth most of the time). After your breakup, you know hooking up is going to make you feel terrible but tell yourself, “It’ll just be this one time. We’re super casual.” (Heartbreak ensues).

Anxiety is like a border collie looking to herd sheep. It gets anxious and runs in circles if it doesn’t have a job. Our brains work the same way. Anxiety can be hard to overcome because your brain is designed to think and our thoughts can make us anxious (especially when we’re stressed, tired, hungry). But anxiety doesn’t have to rule your life. Our brains have what’s called “plasticity,” meaning they can be retrained like that border collie. By repeatedly practicing skills to cope, you’re actually changing your brain wiring. It takes patience, but it’s possible.